The employment outlook for skilled workers in search of a job has got worse, according to government figures released today.

The Skilled Vacancies Index, compiled by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, shows that in the past month job vacancies fell across all the major occupational groups, continuing a decline that began in mid-2002.

Overall, skilled vacancies dropped by 1.6 per cent, including a decline of almost 2 per cent in positions for professionals and sharp drop of almost 5 per cent in vacancies for associate professionals.

In annual terms vacancies for professionals have fallen 16.3 per cent, while for associate professionals (such as medical and science technical officers and engineering associates) they have dropped 14.9 per cent.

Deputy Labor leader Jenny Macklin said the results, coming just days after the release of Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showing 12,000 Australians lost their jobs last month, underlined the Howard Government’s failure to convert 10 years of economic growth into jobs.

Ms Macklin said the skilled vacancies figures reflected worrying trends in the Australian workforce.

“In the past three years the Howard Government has created just 700 middle income jobs while at the same time the number of people in part-time work has exploded,” she said.

“Since 1996 just one third of all jobs created have been full-time.

“Today’s figures show that the Howard Government has failed to deliver on the high-wage, high skill jobs Australians need.”